The allegation by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman Uche Secondus that there is a plot to rig the 2019 election has been described as an indication that the PDP has admitted defeat even before the first ballot is cast.
Secondus, who spoke when he hosted an election observer team from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by Mohammed Conteh, also expressed fear about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which he said was not capable of conducting free, fair and credible elections next year.
Puncturing holes in Secondus’ allegations, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, said that the allegation is a crude attempt to whip up sentiment.
“Is it not surprising that PDP which has perfected the art of using undemocratic means to win elections in the past believes that President Muhammadu Buhari would sanction a rigging plot?
“And how about a situation where PDP is quick to lash out at INEC when it loses by-elections in the President’s traditional strongholds but keeps quiet when it wins in areas of its perceived strength?”
BMO also hailed INEC for choosing to ignore the opposition party’s serial allegations that have no backing evidence.
“We respect INEC’s decision not to join issues with any political party, especially the one that has perfected the art of raising false alarms.
“On our own part, we see the spurious allegations by the PDP as an unnecessary hallucination, acceptance of defeat before the election, and crying wolf where there is none.
“We believe PDP is scared by the enormous and outpouring of goodwill and support for President Buhari through his care and feeling for the common man”.
“The president has performed wonderfully well and the result is there for all to see; from thousands of kilometers of roads rehabilitated or reconstructed, the quantum increase in power generation and the social investment programmes that have captured over 10 million poor Nigerians.
“The agricultural revolution that has transformed Nigeria into one of the few countries in Africa that are self-sufficient in the provision of food; the school feeding programme and several other programmes that have impacted positively on the lives of Nigerians all over the nation”.
BMO added that these verifiable achievements of the Buhari administration which have adhered the President to the people are really what Uche Secundus and the PDP are scared of.
“Obviously, PDP has seen the hand-writing on the wall that it will suffer the mother of all defeats in 2019, hence the recourse to scaremongering and the allegation of massive rigging.
“We make bold to say that President Buhari and APC have no reason whatsoever to rig any election. His achievements will speak for him on Feb 16, 2019.
“The over 10 million beneficiaries of the social investments programmes, their parents, friends, and relations will also speak with their PVCs on that day.
“If anything, it’s the PDP that has cause to worry about its past infamy: the mindless looting of the treasury and other treasonable acts of PDP’s 16 years of the locust; as a matter of fact, we are in possession of credible intelligence of PDP’s plan to subvert the people’s will in next year’s elections. Also, the plan to use money to clone PVCs of unsuspecting members of the public and hacking of INEC’s servers in the President’s stronghold”.
The Buhari group however urged ECOWAS and other international bodies to ensure that they have their election observer teams on ground to witness the final annihilation of what remains of PDP next year.